M. Hammoud1, R. Sawyer1, S. Shebrain1 1Western Michigan University Homer Stryker School of Medicine, General Surgery, Kalamazoo, MICHIGAN, USA
Introduction:
The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has revolutionized educational approaches universally, including implementing an innovative virtual interview (VTI) platform. This approach has played a crucial role as an alternative to the in-person interview (IPI) and has been utilized by most residency programs. Now, in the post-COVID era, returning to the IPI is desirable. This study assesses the applicant's perception of the VTI and IPI interview formats.
Methods:
The applicants to a single university-affiliated general surgery residency program over two interview cycles (2022-2023, 2023-2024) were interviewed both in-person (IPI) and virtually (VTI). They were surveyed via email after submitting the rank order list (ROL). The survey focused on four areas: factors that were important for ranking the programs by the applicants, experience with the IPI and VTI platforms, applicants' experience at our institution, and the decision to choose the program for interview and ranking. The primary outcomes evaluated were the differences between IPI and VTI from an applicant perspective.
Results:
One hundred seventy applicants were interviewed (84 in cycle I and 86 in cycle II) for 11 postgraduate year 1 positions. Forty-five applicants (26.5%) responded to the survey (25 in the IPI and 20 in the VTI). There were 25 (55.6%) males and 20 (44.4) females. The two factors felt to be very or extremely important for ranking the programs were the prospect of fellowship after graduation (92% in IPI vs. 85% in VTI) and geographic location (88% in IPI vs. 70% in VTI). When assessing the applicant's experience with IPI and VTI, discrepancy in two areas was noted. First, 60% of applicants in VTI agreed or strongly agreed that financial status impacted their decision to choose the virtual platform, compared to 28% in the IPI. Additionally, 35% in the VTI agreed or strongly agreed that if the VTI was not offered to them, they would likely not have chosen to interview, compared to only 8% in the IPI. Additionally, after interviewing in our program, 80% in the IPI said they would definitely choose or probably choose our program compared to 51% in the VTI. When asked about their experience at our institution, applicants in both groups have similar experiences.
Conclusion:
Interviewed applicants for surgery residency have similar experiences with both in-person and virtual interview formats. However, financial status has a major impact on applicants' decisions to choose VTI. On the other hand, applicants who had IPI are more likely to choose and rank the program. Applicants to residency programs should be offered both in-person and virtual interviews.